To Be Somebody
by carkiechu
Summary: Who knew that trying to be your own person would be so difficult...? Of course it helps when there's help at hand...KyouyaxKaoru
1. Chapter 1

To Be Somebody

Chapter 1

It was late afternoon and all the female clientele had vacated and gone home for the night. Only the Ouran Host club members still remained. Tired of listening to his brother's over-excitable chattering to Haruhi and angry retorts at Tono, Kaoru moved his golden eyes across the music room, concentrating on his fellow hosts.

Mori-senpai was quietly reading in the corner of the room, sat across from Honey-senpai, who was cheerfully making his way through a rather large strawberry cheesecake. Every now and then, Mori-senpai would glance up, look kindly at the small honey blonde sat across from him and would allow a small smile to grace his stoic features. Kaoru quickly turned away from them, feeling like he had intruded in on some secret world that he shouldn't have seen. No one really understood the strangely balanced relationship between the two seniors, nor did they ever try to. It clearly wasn't romantic but it wasn't exactly platonic either and nobody ever brought the subject up for discussion, even amongst themselves. Instead he moved his gaze back to the end of the couch that he was currently sat on, watching the scene that was playing out before him.

Hikaru was sat at the other end of the couch, with Haruhi sat across from him doing her science homework on the table in front. Tamaki had initially been discussing club-related things with Kyouya until he had inevitably drifted over to _save _Haruhi from the 'devilish twin', Hikaru.

"Get away from my darling daughter you hellish twin! Daddy knows what you're trying to do! I won't let you corrupt her sweet innocent mind with your twisted words!" Tamaki literally pounced over to the pair, stood behind Haruhi's seat, grabbing the back of the chair in anger.

"You must have really knocked that kingly head of yours on something without realising _Tono_…Haruhi and I were discussing the new amusement park she told me about and whether we should go together sometime, not that it's any of your business of course…" Hikaru countered in an almost bored tone whilst looking at his nails, slyly watching the Host Club king's reaction from under his eyelashes.

"A new amusement park? What a brilliant idea Haruhi! We could all go together this weekend! I can try some of that commoner's festival food that you've mentioned before…" As quickly as Tamaki had arrived, he was gone, running back over to 'Mummy' to tell him the good news.

This had clearly not been the reaction his twin had been searching for.

"What?! That's not what I said dummy! Tono!" Hikaru shouted after Tamaki obviously stuck between running after their Highness or staying sat with Haruhi. To Kaoru's surprise, chasing after Tono came out on top.

A small giggle reminded Kaoru that Haruhi was still sat in front of him. She was also watching the commotion that his twin and Tamaki were causing around their shadow king, Kyouya. Not that he took any notice of the bickering hosts, even when Tamaki tried to bring him into the argument.

"Mummy! Explain to our son why we should _all _go! I always try to keep this family together and how do you all repay me?!" When Kyouya failed to even acknowledge his presence let alone what he was saying, Tamaki deposited himself in the corner of the music room and began sulking.

"I was planning on doing the laundry and cleaning this weekend…oh well, never mind. It might be fun, ne Kaoru-kun?" Haruhi turned to face Kaoru and smiled whilst she gathered her books together.

"Yeah, probably." Kaoru answered distractedly, turning again to watch Hikaru winding Tamaki up further, thinking that maybe he should intervene…after all, their highness had begun to grow mushrooms again…

"Night Kaoru-kun."

Kaoru's head whipped around just in time to see Haruhi's retreating back as she quietly snuck off through the large wooden doors in the vain hope of avoiding the usual Hikaru/Tamaki onslaught. Her escape did not go unnoticed however.

"Ha-Haruhi! Wait for Daddy!"

"Oi! Haruhi! Wait up!!"

Kaoru couldn't help but feel slight sympathy for the sweet brunette girl as he watched his brother and Tamaki go racing out of the music room after her. He could only imagine the fighting that would ensue between the boys when they finally caught up with her. Sighing pitifully to himself, Kaoru grabbed his bag and carelessly stuffed his belongings inside.

'_Oh well…I suppose I will walk home again tonight. At least it isn't raining.' _

Kaoru thought to himself as he flicked his gaze to the tall windows. You could tell that winter was creeping in; it had started to turn dark a lot earlier in the evenings.

"Night Kao-chan, Kyo-chan! See you both tomorrow!" Honey-senpai's saccharine voice broke through his musings. Kaoru looked up and smiled as he watched his seniors both wave their goodbyes as they made their way to the music room entrance.

"Hai, goodnight Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai." Kyouya replied from behind his laptop whilst Kaoru gave a small wave in return.

The doors shut with a soft _clunk_, leaving music room #3 shrouded once again in silence apart from the delicate tapping sound coming from Kyouya's keyboard. Glancing briefly over to where the source of the noise was coming from, Kaoru stood and was also about to leave for home when he legs decided otherwise and he slowly wandered over to where his midnight-haired senpai sat, typing away.

Unsure as to why he had walked across to stand near Kyouya's desk, Kaoru said the first thing that came into his head, as the silence that stretched throughout the room made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"So…it's the amusement park for us all this weekend then eh?" Kaoru silently cursed himself at how lame that had actually sounded, rubbing the back of his flame red hair in discomfort.

Kyouya's fingers stilled and after a moment they lifted to quietly close the lid of his laptop. Leaning back in his chair, he turned his dark eyes to focus in on the twin stood before him.

"Yes, so it would seem. Though I doubt Tamaki would have taken no for an answer." Kyouya let a small sigh escape his lips as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. Kaoru chuckled softly, nodding slightly in agreement.

"Heh…too true. Tono gets what Tono wants…otherwise it's too troublesome!" Kaoru swore he saw a small smile grace Kyouya's defined features at his words, but it was gone too soon to be sure. The black-haired host stood and began to pack his notebook and laptop away in his school bag before he stilled and looked up at younger Hitachiin twin once again.

"Not that I mind you talking to me Kaoru, but won't your brother be waiting for you at the car?" A wistful smile formed on the twins face as he shook his head.

"Oh, Hikaru will be on his way home by now. Either that or he will still be chasing after Haruhi. He no longer bothers to wait for me. I walk home most nights…I can't be bothered waiting for the car to come back to pick me up and I enjoy the walk."

The slight widening of Kyouya's eyes was the only indication that he was shocked by this new piece of information – but when it came to the Shadow King, that was quite a show of emotions indeed. Kaoru amusedly imagined how he must have been itching to write this down in his treasured notebook.

"I didn't realise. That's a little thoughtless, even for Hikaru." A slight frown appeared on Kyouya's forehead as he sat back down and removed his glasses, cleaning them with his handkerchief. He replaced them back on his face and turned, focusing his attention back on Kaoru.

Normally if anyone insulted Hikaru, it would instantly get his back up – even if Hikaru deserved it and he would defend his brother to the ends of the earth, but recently he'd been having similar thoughts when it came to Hikaru and he surprisingly found he agreed with Kyouya.

"That maybe so Kyouya-senpai, but there is not a lot I can do about it. The reason I don't call for the car is that it makes it look like it was my own choice to walk home and not because I was left behind by Hikaru. I honestly don't mind walking though…clears the mind and all that." This of course did nothing to ease the frown on his senpai's face…if anything he seemed deeper in thought.

"You could try to--"

"Aw…geez! It's raining!" Kaoru exasperated voice cut across Kyouya's subtle tones. When the dark-haired senior had begun to speak, Kaoru had taken a momentary glance up at the windows to see nothing but clouded skies and heavy rain pelting against the multiply glass panes.

_'Ha!_ _So much for this morning's pleasant weather forecast!'_

Realising he had rudely interrupted; Kaoru quickly bowed his head in apology, a pale blush crossing his cheeks.

"Ah! Sorry Kyouya-senpai…I didn't mean to interrupt you, but I'd better get on my way."

Kyouya couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in amusement. He sometimes forgot how polite the younger twin was when he was on his own. Kyouya had observed on many occasions, that there were numerous defining features that separated the two Hitachiins', but as far as the twins were concerned – Haruhi was the only person who could tell them apart. This was of course untrue. Kyouya had begun to notice slight differences ever since the club was founded and even before Haruhi had entered all their lives he could tell which twin was which.

Waving away Kaoru's apology, Kyouya let the corner of his lips quirk upwards.

"I take it you don't have an umbrella with you?" Amusement colouring his words.

"Umm…no." Kaoru answered as he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously, his eyes locked firmly on his feet.

Kyouya stood, silently picked up his belongings and began to head towards the door, leaving Kaoru standing on his own by his desk.

"You had better hurry up if you want a lift, because I won't be waiting for you either."

Kaoru turned to see Kyouya leaning against the music room door with a smirk on his face. The realisation of what the midnight haired student had just said sank in causing the look of surprise on the twin's face to morph into a look of pure panic.

"Oh my god! I wasn't trying to scrounge a lift Kyouya-senpai! I'm so sorry!! I'll be fine, honestly! You must think I'm so rude! Again, I'm terribly sorry if--"

It was Kyouya that decided to interrupt this time, effectively cutting off Kaoru's rambling apology.

"Kaoru…not once did I believe you were trying to solicit a lift home from me. I am simply offering you a lift seen as its dark and the weather seems to be getting worse." Kyouya explained offhandedly, before continuing, the smirk returning to his face. "Besides, I'd rather not be a twin down tomorrow because you happened to catch a cold." Kaoru stood in shock for a few moments before breaking out into a breathtaking smile.

"Hai...I get it. Profits and all that jazz." Kaoru laughed as he quickly grabbed his bag and rushed towards the door being held open by his senpai, making sure to turn the lights off as he left. They made their way through the school in relative silence until Kaoru softly spoke up.

"Thanks Kyouya-senpai."

"Hmm."

* * *

Please read and review to help me feed the multiplying kyouya/kaoru plot bunnies that have suddenly moved in with me...XD


	2. Chapter 2

**To Be Somebody**

**Chapter 2**

Kaoru stared vacantly out of the car window, his forehead resting against the cool glass pane, barely registering the passing scenery on their way to the Hitachiin mansion. As grateful as he was to Kyouya for the lift, he was slightly uncomfortable with the knowledge that his senpai now knew how Hikaru had been 'abandoning' him for Haruhi lately. It was easier to deal with when it was just himself noticing Hikaru's unkind behaviour, but now that Kyouya knew, it made it harder to ignore. Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Kaoru tried to concentrate instead on the dull rumble of the car's engine and the drops of rain water making their way across the window, which slowly lulled him into an almost trance.

Kyouya watched the youngest twin from the corner of his eye, remembering what Kaoru had said back in the music room. The ebony-haired student had noticed that the twins were acting somewhat differently towards one another, but he had not realised just how far apart they had grown recently. Kyouya turned his head a little to get a better look at the auburn haired boy and saw that the twin had closed his eyes; making him look younger and ever so slightly vulnerable. Kaoru's face although the same as Hikaru's, always seemed 'prettier' in Kyouya's opinion, to the point of seeming almost feminine. His voice was softer and his frame was more slender, less muscled than the eldest Hitachiin's.

Kyouya didn't often get the chance to speak to Kaoru on his own, especially before Hikaru's infatuation with Haruhi began. The brothers always came as a pair – inseparable, insufferable and indistinguishable to almost everyone around them. On the odd occasion when he did get to speak to Kaoru alone however, he soon began to realise there were many traits that showed that these 'identical' twins were not identical at all. For example, Kaoru had a much calmer demeanour, he was better mannered and less conceited and something Kyouya had noted on several instances was that Kaoru was also a lot more artistically gifted than his brother.

The dark-haired host had to admit to himself that this Hitachiin was rather refreshing to talk to, especially when he was so used to the often challenging company of the host club's king, Tamaki.

The sudden sound of music rudely brought both Ouran students out of their thoughts, causing Kaoru to sit back from the car window in shock. After a moment's pause Kaoru realised the sound was from his phone and he hastily grabbed it from his blazer pocket. Flicking the phone open, he saw it was a text message from Hikaru, which didn't bode well. His brother only usually texted him when he was after something or had done something...otherwise he would usually call.

Kyouya silently watched Kaoru's expression transform as he read the text from his brother. If he believed Kaoru was despondent before, he certainly was now. The twin sent a short text back, replaced his phone in his pocket and turned back to the car window.

"Is everything ok? I presume that was from Hikaru." Kaoru looked up and gave his senpai a reluctant smile.

"Yeah, it was. He's staying for dinner at Haruhi's house with Tono…reckons he won't be back till late." Kaoru explained, turning away again.

Kyouya leant forward and spoke quietly in the ear of Tachibana, the bodyguard sat in the front passenger seat, who nodded and leant over to relay the message to the driver. If Kaoru had seen the exchange he didn't mention anything about it, so the Ouran students continued their journey in silence. That was of course until Kaoru noticed the driveway they were pulling into was not that of the Hitachiin mansion. Turning to Kyouya to gauge his reaction, he realised that his senpai wasn't at all surprised.

"Erm, what happened to them driving me home? You're not kidnapping me are you?" Kaoru asked, only half joking. He'd learnt long ago to never underestimate the club's 'Shadow King'.

Kyouya lifted his school bag from the floor, turned and fixed his obsidian eyes on the twin sat beside him.

"Your parents are away on business are they not?" Kyouya simply stated in a tone of voice you'd use to describe the weather.

Kaoru's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "How would you know that and what's that got to do with me ending up here?"

As he finished talking, Kaoru's car door swung open and was held by another one of his senpai's black-clad bodyguards.

"I heard your brother telling Haruhi back in the club room and as for the reasons why you are here; to begin with, I would never kidnap anyone - it would be extremely troublesome and remarkably futile. Secondly, I am merely inviting you to dine with my sister and me tonight. There is no point in dining alone just because your brother is an inconsiderate idiot." Kyouya explained simply before stepping out of the car, leaving a speechless Kaoru in his wake.

A small cough from the bodyguard holding the door soon brought the twin from his stunned silence.

"Eh?! Oh, sorry…" Quickly grabbing his bag, Kaoru muttered his apology before rushing to join his senior who was waiting for him at the Ootori mansion front entrance.

Kyouya turned and handed his jacket and scarf to the maid waiting to greet them and walked into the main foyer. When Kaoru caught up, he also handed his belongings over but not before smiling kindly at the maid, which only caused her to blush bright red and scurry off. A low chuckle ahead caught Kaoru's attention.

"Please try to not scare my staff away…" Kyouya said with a smirk which the twin simply answered with his patented Hitachiin grin. Kyouya then proceeded to lead his red-headed friend through the mansion's many corridors to his personal rooms.

He'd been in Kyouya's rooms before with the rest of the host club - usually to wake the 'Shadow King' from his sleep of the dead so that they could drag him off on some silly adventure dreamed up by Tono. They were pleasant, modern rooms but they were too 'Spartan' for Kaoru's tastes, especially with so few personal possessions dotted around. The rooms seemed almost unlived in; like some form of show home.

Sitting down on one of the white leather couches, Kaoru watched his senpai loosen his tie, throw his bag on the table and take a seat across from him. Not that Kaoru was particularly bothered by having dinner with Kyouya and his sister, but it concerned him as to why he had been asked. He hated people feeling sorry for him and the last person he wanted pity from was his midnight-haired senpai. Kyouya, who had been quiet since their walk through the mansion, glanced up, saw Kaoru's troubled expression and sighed.

"I didn't invite you over because I felt sorry for you Kaoru, if that's what you're worrying about. Don't get me wrong, I _am_ inviting you because you are on your own tonight, but to be frank, I do have an ulterior motive for bringing you here; I thought it would be a good time for my sister to meet you. She is very interested in your mother's fashion designs and no doubt she will also be interested in what you've been designing recently."

"I'm presuming that's something else you've overheard as well?" Kaoru questioned warily, stunned once again by how his senpai seemed to know everything about everyone…

"Actually, not this time. I had the fortune to speak to your mother at a gallery opening that I had to attend in my father's place a few weeks ago. It was your mother that recognised me actually and we chatted for a while, mainly concerning how you both were doing at school." Kyouya leant back on the couch, watching Kaoru's increasingly attentive expression with amusement before continuing. "We also spoke briefly about the Hitachiin Corporation. She mentioned that Hikaru had very little interest in the family business currently and that you were the entire opposite; designing sample ranges for her in your spare time etc."

Kyouya lowered his face a little so that the light reflected off his glasses, his expression suddenly unreadable.

"Your mother thinks very highly of you Kaoru…" Kyouya remarked, his soft voice trailing off. Despite this, Kaoru could hear his senpai's unspoken words loud and clear…

"…_unlike my father with me."_

Before Kaoru could really acknowledge the churning feeling of resentment for Kyouya's father he found unexpectedly in his gut, he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps hurrying down the corridor towards Kyouya's room.

"Kyouya! You didn't tell me we were having a guest tonight!" Fuyumi, the owner of said footsteps, admonished her brother as she burst into the room. She spun around to face Kaoru, a pretty smile gracing her lips. "Oh, we haven't met before have we?! Aren't you going to introduce us Kyouya?"

"I will if you'd give me a chance Fuyumi nee-san. Kaoru, this is my sister, Fuyumi Shido." Fuyumi bowed politely, whilst Kyouya continued. "Fuyumi nee-san, this is Kaoru Hitachiin; a friend from the school." Kaoru bowed in return, smiling kindly.

Even though they had only just been introduced, Kaoru decided he already liked Kyouya's sister an awful lot more than his two older brothers. He'd met Kyouya's brothers on various occasions, and found them both to be insufferable. Kaoru watched with curiosity as Fuyumi's face suddenly lit up with recognition.

"Ah! You're one of the twins that Kyouya's mentioned before! I love your mother's clothing! She's amazingly talented as a designer and she's gorgeous as well!" Fuyumi exclaimed, clapping her hands together with enthusiasm.

"Absolutely! If I could grow to have just an ounce of her talent, I'd be very happy!"

Fuyumi smiled, "With a mother and grandmother like yours, I'm sure you will!"

Kyouya stepped back and silently watched the ongoing exchange with interest. He was hoping Kaoru would get on well with his sister, but what Kyouya couldn't grasp was why it was suddenly so important to him that he did. In fact, if he was entirely honest with himself, the whole decision to invite Kaoru for dinner was entirely spur-of-the-moment, which as anyone could tell you, was very unlike him; he normally planned everything down the finest detail and calculated all benefits before making any final decisions. He had of course come up with a perfectly valid explanation for doing so when he was put on the spot by the Hitachiin twin earlier; but he knew it wasn't the real reason and Kyouya's sudden decision to reach out to Kaoru perplexed him as much as it probably did his kouhai and one of the things Kyouya hated most was not being able to understand his own motives. His inner musings were unfortunately interrupted and put on the back burner for later analysis when a maid came to the door to announce that dinner was ready.

* * *

Fuyumi and Kaoru's conversation continued once they were seated and the meal was served; Kyouya remaining silent, listening intently to what was being said.

"Hitachiin-san, Kyouya tells me you have begun to design for your mother. That must be so exciting!"

Kaoru's chuckled slightly, "Please, call me Kaoru and yes I have…though it's more daunting than exciting! I don't rate my designs much, but if they give my mum even a spark of inspiration then that's something at least."

"Ooh! You'll have to show me some of your designs! Do you prefer to design for men or women? If it was me - and if I could draw and sew of course - I'd love to design wedding dresses! How romantic that would be!" Fuyumi sighed happily before continuing with her meal. Kyouya shook his head, slightly bemused by how similar his sister was to his blonde best friend and judging by Kaoru's similar facial expression, he had also come to the same conclusion.

"Though I'm currently designing a young female range for my mum, I actually prefer designing men's clothing. The problem is I don't have a male fitting model to design for as my brother is the wrong complexion and height, plus he won't stay still for more than two seconds." Kaoru rubbed the back of his neck absent-mindedly as he explained. "I have plenty of pretty female staff from our house that I can design for - they model my prototypes whilst I make adjustments and let me photograph them and stuff so I can't complain really…"

Setting her cutlery down, Fuyumi sat back, dabbing her mouth with her serviette.

"That's a shame…" Fuyumi trailed off as she slowly moved her gaze across from Kaoru to focus on her brother, clearly deep in thought.

Ignoring his sister, Kyouya turned to face Kaoru.

"You will have to create some costumes for one of our Host Club themed days. I'm sure Tamaki mentioned he wanted to do an anime/game character theme in a few weeks."

Kaoru looked uncertain, "Yeah, maybe…it sounds like a good theme but I'd be a bit worried that they wouldn't turn out right though…"

"I think you underestimate yourse--"

"That's it!" Both Ouran students turned to face the interruption, a glint in her eye that was cannily reminiscent of the Host Club's otaku, Renge.

"I presume you are going to explain to use both as to what 'it' is?" Kyouya asked coolly, expertly hiding how unsettled he felt with his sister staring as intently as she was at him – it was the kind of look that never bode well when it was sent in your direction.

"Kaoru-kun! Why not use Kyouya as your fitting model?! He's the right height, build, colourings - he'd be perfect and rather dashing don't you think?!"

Kyouya expression became stony and Kaoru turned very pale, glancing nervously across at his senior.

"I…I'm sure that Kyouya-senpai has many more important things to do than let me design clothes for him…right senpai?" Kaoru could only imagine what Kyouya was thinking about his sister at this very moment in time. He was beginning to re-think what he was thinking earlier about Kyouya's sister being sweet and lovely; she was as scheming as Renge was and appeared to be absolutely fearless of Kyouya. A fact he was both extremely impressed by and also rather wary of as she was obviously someone not to be messed with …

Kyouya had yet to respond and seemed to be focusing his irritation for his sister on the poor serviette held in his vice-like grip.

"My dear brother spends way too much time on numbers and figures, and you won't need to borrow him that often would you?" Fuyumi tapped one delicate finger against her painted lips in thought, completely ignoring the ominous aura emanating from her sibling. "Let's see…You'd need to see him once for the measuring and then later on for trying on the prototype and for fitting adjustments. Then you'd need him once again for the final fitting. I'm sure you can manage that can't you Kyouya?" The wily smile on her face ruined her seemingly benevolent appearance.

Kaoru shrank into his chair and slowly edged away from his senpai, not daring to make eye contact. He was amazed at how well Fuyumi had thought everything through – which made him slightly suspicious as to how long she had had this planned despite them only meeting each other today. Realising Kyouya had remained silent for a long time, he glanced up and was stunned to see the deadly aura had vanished and in its place sat a thoroughly defeated brother.

It was then that Kaoru decided enough was enough.

"Look Fuyumi-san, I appreciate what you are trying to do but I don't want Kyouya being forced to help me especially as he clearly doesn't want to, he's very busy and doesn't need me adding to that work load." Kaoru said resolutely, golden eyes blazing, leaving no room for argument. Kyouya's sister simply answered with a knowing look and a sly smile. Kyouya on the other hand turned slightly wide-eyes to his red-headed friend, eyebrows raised in surprise. Not only had Kaoru spoken so firmly to his sister, he'd done so defending Kyouya and he wasn't sure quite what to make of it.

"Absolutely, I understand. I do get carried away sometimes as Kyouya knows well." Kaoru swore he heard Kyouya snort derisively under his breath at that comment. "Well, I'm going to leave you both now as I have some personal matters to attend to. It was a delight to meet you Kaoru-kun. I hope you will bring some of your designs for me to have a look through when you can and I look forward to seeing you again." Fuyumi said whilst standing from the dining table, a servant pulling out her chair. Kaoru couldn't help but feel bemused at how unashamedly she acted; not in the slightest bit bothered about being admonished by the youngest Hitachiin for her blatant interfering.

"It was a pleasure meeting you too Fuyumi-san. Of course, I will hand them to Kyouya-senpai sometime to pass onto you. Good night." Kaoru, who was also standing, said before bowing deeply.

Fuyumi smiled sweetly in return. "Good night Kaoru-kun, Kyouya." She said, nodding at her brother before turning to leave the dining room.

Once his sister had gone, Kyouya led Kaoru back to his rooms; both boys thoroughly submerged in their own thoughts as they found themselves sat once again on the white couches. Kaoru watched as his dark-haired senior slumped in his seat, took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. After a few minutes there was a knock at the door which Kyouya wearily stood to answer. As he came back into the room, a maid followed behind him, bringing a selection of cakes and tea for them both. She silently set them on the coffee table before excusing herself, leaving them both alone again.

The auburn-haired twin was concerned that Kyouya hadn't really spoken since Fuyumi had interrupted him with her scheming and it was clear he was still annoyed about it. Even though she came across as a Renge/Tamaki hybrid with no fear of the 'Demon Shadow King' what-so-ever, Kaoru could tell she cared deeply for her brother and was worried about the fact that Kyouya did very few activities that weren't for his father's business or school. Feeling the need to apologise and explain on her behalf and also to try and lighten the mood, Kaoru opened his mouth to speak but found he was beaten to it.

"I apologise for my sister Kaoru. I'm normally used to her interfering nature but sometimes she likes to push things too far and it can get a little annoying. I'm also sorry for being such poor company – I'm just a little more tired than I realised." Kaoru watched as his senpai picked up his cup of tea, gazing absently into the dark steaming liquid. Sensing that his brunette-haired friend had more to say, he just waited and kept quiet. After a few moments, Kyouya focused thoughtful dark eyes back on the Hitachiin.

"I will model for you, but in return you must design and create the costumes for the anime and game character theme day at the club. How does that sound?"

Kaoru's grip tightened around his own teacup as Kyouya's words sunk in, not quite sure he had heard correctly.

"Eh?! Don't…don't be worrying about what your sister was saying earlier. It's not a big deal, really! Surely you don't want to model for me anyway; you've got better things to do. You should just get a professional to do the costumes like we usually do. I will only disappoint everyone…" Ducking his head, Kaoru felt his face heat up as he sensed Kyouya's intense gaze on him.

Watching the insecure, blushing twin, Kyouya couldn't help but smile to himself. He really was different to Hikaru.

"As I tried to tell you before, you seriously underestimate yourself. The Host Club would benefit financially if you could occasionally design and create clothes for us, and you would benefit from me being a fitting model for you." Kyouya watched for the reaction to his next words, smirking as he continued. "That's if you think I'd be any good as a fitting model of course…" Naturally, Kaoru's reaction didn't disappoint.

"What!? Are you crazy? Of course you'd be ok!! Just like Fuyumi-san said earlier, you're the right height, build and complexion. Your dark eyes and hair are perfect for design but…" Kaoru exclaimed, trailing off hesitantly, his cheeks flushed.

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, amusement shining in his eyes. "Yes?"

"Well…I didn't think you'd want to do something like that…for me. It doesn't seem like something you'd…enjoy." Kaoru finished lamely, worry and embarrassment clearly written across his face.

"On the contrary, it sounds like it might be quite interesting and if you do surprise us and happen to create something decent, I expect to be given first choice on any of the clothing you make." Kyouya quipped, smirk firmly in place. Kaoru burst out laughing at this, a grin returning to his face.

Kaoru stuck his tongue out playfully, "Fine, fine…just don't go complaining when I 'accidentally' poke you with a pin!"

Pleased to see a smile back on the twins face, Kyouya let a rare smile grace his own lips.

Kaoru's eyes widened as he turned his head, noticing the clock on the wall.

"Oh! It's getting late. I suppose I'd better be heading back." He said whilst reaching into his pocket for his phone, a hint of disappointment lacing his words.

Kyouya held up his hand, "Don't worry, my driver will see that you're home safe."

Kaoru was about to argue but decided against it, finally nodding in agreement whilst replacing his phone in his pocket.

* * *

Once Kaoru had collected his things from the maid at the front entrance, both boys went to stand outside in the night air, rain having finally passed. Kaoru saw Kyouya suppress a shiver as a gust of wind blew past them, making him thoroughly glad that he was now wearing his jacket and scarf.

As the car pulled up in front of them, Kaoru turned and smiled at Kyouya. "Thanks for having me over Kyouya-senpai…it was fun and I really enjoyed meeting your sister. I'll bring in one of my design portfolios tomorrow for you to show her if you'd like?"

"You're welcome and I'm sure she'd appreciate that, as would I – and you never know, it might keep her quiet for a bit." Kyouya finished with an exasperated sigh to which Kaoru giggled.

"You love her really!" He said whilst prodding his senpai in the arm, a grin plastered across his face. "Though, even you have to admit, she definitely displays an uncanny resemblance to both Tono and Renge."

Kyouya rubbed his temples, "Please refrain from reminding me of that fact." Kaoru just snorted with laughter before turning back towards the car, noticing the driver was holding the door open for him.

"Well, see you tomorrow at school and thanks again."

Kyouya watched as his red-headed friend got into the car and quickly wound the window down.

"Yes, see you in club. Take care." Kaoru nodded and waved as the car pulled away.

As he watched the car drive down the driveway, Kyouya waved in return before realising what he was doing and promptly dropping his hand to his side. Shaking his head in frustration at himself, he turned on his heels and retreated to the warmth of the Ootori mansion.

* * *

**I hope you like?! As they say, r eviews make faster chapters... ^_^**


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